


i'm holding out (for a hero)

by asiannoodles



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Boyfriends, Cute, Dating, Dogs, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-14 14:42:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16494593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asiannoodles/pseuds/asiannoodles
Summary: Hoseok has no problem with his boyfriend, Kihyun, loving his dog this much. Although sometimes he thinks it may be too much.





	i'm holding out (for a hero)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jjokkiri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjokkiri/gifts).



> happy belated bday to my soulmate iri ♡

It wasn’t that Hoseok was insecure—that definitely wasn’t it. Hoseok considered himself a confident person and nothing would change that. And having his boyfriend, Kihyun, in his life only made him even more of a confident person. He and Kihyun had been dating for a few years now, and Hoseok would proudly admit that dating him had made him a better person. They brought out the best qualities in each other and Hoseok thought that maybe in the future, Kihyun could really be the one for him. They were still young and had a long way to go in their relationship, but Kihyun seemed like the one. He had to be.

So Hoseok wasn’t insecure. No, it was more like he just didn’t get it. No one loved him and his dog more than Kihyun did, so he should be grateful—but there was a small nagging part inside of him that wondered if Kihyun liked his dog too much. Or at least, it made him wonder why he felt the smallest bit jealous of his dog when he shouldn’t have been.

They had met when his dog was just a puppy. Hoseok was in the park, running around with his baby husky, tossing a tennis ball to fetch in the grass when his puppy had run after the wrong tennis ball. It was a stray one, coming directly over their heads from the tennis court, and there wasn’t enough time for Hoseok to take hold of his pup before he was running off.

“Hero!” he called. “Hero, come back—that’s the wrong ball!” He sighed when he finally caught up to his puppy, pulling him up into his arms and taking the ball out of his mouth. “Hero, I told you to come back,” he scolded gently. But Hero just smiled up at him and wagged his tail.

It was then that he had met Kihyun for the first time. The younger male had come up to him, decked from head to toe in tennis gear, scratching the back of his head as he awkwardly handled his racket. “I’m so sorry,” he had said, “but did you see a tennis ball flying over here…?”

“Oh yeah,” Hoseok laughed as he held up the now chewed up, but otherwise brand new, tennis ball. “This one?”

Kihyun grinned and said, “That’s it! I’m sorry if I hit you on accident or anything, I’m still kind of learning how to play tennis.” He twirled his tennis racket a little sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it! You didn’t hit anyone, it’s just, uh, Hero might have chewed on your ball before I could stop him,” Hoseok said as he handed over the ball. It was still a little damp from saliva. “Sorry about that.”

There was a positive ray of light beaming from Kihyun’s eyes when he focused on the smiling puppy in Hoseok’s arms. An audible gasp left his lips as he tucked his tennis ball into his pocket. “Hero! That’s your puppy’s name?”

“Yeah. He’s going to be a month old in a week.” Hoseok scratched the top of Hero’s head and chuckled. “Super energetic though.”

“He’s such a cutie,” Kihyun sang with a grin as he bent down to Hero’s eye level. Looking up at Hoseok, he asked, “Is it okay if I pet him?”

“Oh yeah, of course. Just be careful, he likes biting.”

Kihyun’s face absolutely lit up as he reached over to scratch all over Hero’s head, behind his ears and underneath his chin. Hero’s tail began wagging even faster as he nipped at Kihyun’s fingers. Kihyun laughed as he tugged his fingers out of Hero’s mouth.

“He’s so cute,” he cooed as he scratched underneath Hero’s chin again. “He’s absolutely precious. Almost a month, you say?”

“Mm-hm.” Hoseok nodded as he watched with a smile. “Still my baby.”

“Precious baby,” Kihyun cooed underneath his breath. He left a short poke on Hero’s nose and stood back up. “I already love him. My name is Kihyun, by the way.” He stuck out his hand.

Hoseok shook his hand firmly. “I’m Hoseok. You live around here?”

“Yeah, I just moved in a couple blocks from here. I thought I’d try to get out and get to know the community by taking tennis lessons or something but that isn’t working quite well.” He chuckled at himself. “Speaking of which, I should probably head back.”

“Right, right,” Hoseok nodded as he peeked over Kihyun’s shoulder. It seemed like a tennis instructor was waiting for him back on the court. “You should get back to that.” He chuckled. “I’ll see you around though?”

Kihyun laughed as he began walking away. “With a puppy like that? I’ll come find you if I have to.”

And Kihyun hadn’t lied. The next time they saw each other, Kihyun had come up to him excitedly, but dressed in normal attire this time. His face had positively sparkled when he set his eyes on Hoseok and Hero, and Hoseok could feel a smile forming on his face when Kihyun jogged over.

“Hey there.” Hoseok waved him over. “You remember me?”

“Remember? Of course I remember.” Kihyun snickered while making a face. Bending down, he took Hero’s face into his hands and laughed as Hero grinned up at him. “How could I forget this baby?”

Hoseok’s heart warmed as he watched the two of them interact, chuckling as he said, “You’re pretty good with dogs. Hero really likes you.”

“I used to raise dogs!” Kihyun said, looking up at Hoseok as he continued to pet Hero. “Mostly when I was younger. My family loves dogs.”

Bending down to join them, Hoseok stroked Hero’s back as he continued, “Really? That’s so nice. I never really had pets growing up but one time my old university roommate snuck a big labrador into our room once for a whole semester and she was the greatest roommate I’ve ever had.” He smiled fondly at his own dog. “I adopted Hero after I felt completely settled into the city.”

Kihyun grinned. “I’m glad you did—Hero is beautiful. He’s going to be absolutely gorgeous when he gets bigger.” He whispered some unintelligible coos towards Hero, smiling when his tongue flopped out as he smiled.

“Do you think you’ll adopt a dog in your new place?” Hoseok asked.

“Hm, I’m not sure yet. I’m not fully settled in and even then, I think I should make sure my new job is completely secure before I can get myself a puppy.” He pouted as he scratched behind Hero’s ears. “BUt even then, my apartment is too small for me to have a dog so I’ll just have to wait.”

That was also the first time Hoseok felt a spark between Kihyun that day, because immediately afterwards, he said, “Well, maybe you should come over to mine sometime if you get lonely.”

He wasn’t sure if Kihyun knew he was flirting. But Kihyun had glanced at him with a small twinkle in his eye as he replied, “Maybe. I don’t usually go to someone’s home on the first date though.”

“Hm… I think I can do something about that.”

They exchanged numbers after that, met in the park a couple more times, and after texting for about three months, Hoseok asked him out on an official date.

  
  


 

 

 

 

To say Hoseok and Kihyun hit it off was to understate it. Taking Kihyun out to dinner had gone exceedingly well and they had talked for hours on end afterwards. They talked so long, in fact, that Hoseok had taken him back to his house for some hot chocolate to talk some more. And maybe they had lost track of time, considering that they sat on his couch for hours even after the hot chocolate had been finished. Hero had crawled onto the couch, rested his face in Kihyun’s lap, and fallen asleep comfortably with his tail in Hoseok’s lap.

There was something endearing about the way Hero was so friendly with Kihyun. And Hoseok could see that Kihyun was super affectionate with Hero as well. It was hard for Kihyun to say goodbye that night but Hoseok assured him that they would have another date soon. Kihyun made him pinky promise, and maybe Hoseok’s heart had melted.

  
  
  


 

 

 

Kihyun and Hoseok shared their first kiss by the time Hero was a fully grown, adult sized husky. Kihyun coming over for dates was a normal appearance at this point and Hero always jumped up on him whenever he walked in or out of the door. A second wouldn’t even pass before Kihyun was massaging his paws and kissing him right on the nose, even though he was supposed to be leaving.

“You’re such a big boy!” he exclaimed with excitement. His bright grin nearly broke his face as he squat down to properly place a loud smooch on the top of Hero’s head. Hero always seemed extra energetic and happy around Kihyun. “You get bigger after every time I leave!”

“It’s like you two aren’t going to see each other in months,” Hoseok joked as he unlocked the door and grabbed his keys.

Kihyun frowned and hugged Hero close.  “What if we don’t? What if this is the last time I see Hero?” Hero was able to play along, his ears and tail drooping as he snuggled closer to Kihyun.

“You’ll probably see him in a week.” Hoseok snickered as he pet Hero’s neck. “Come on Hero, I need to drive Kihyun home. He has to go on a train really early in the morning,” he sang, mostly sending a reminder to Kihyun.

It was the first time Kihyun was being sent away on a business trip. Hoseok was overjoyed for him when he had told him he was going to be representing his company at a large convention. The only downside, though, was hearing that Kihyun would be away for at least a week. Hoseok planned to stay the night at Kihyun’s house so he could drop him off at the train station the next morning, but that meant saying an early goodbye to Hero.

Kihyun pouted and glanced at Hero wistfully. “Can’t I bring Hero with me? He can be my guidance dog.” He kissed Hero loudly on his forehead. “I don’t want to leave.”

“You never want to leave,” Hoseok joked as he tilted Kihyun’s chin over to look at him. “But Hero’s got to stay here.”

“I’m going to be gone for so many days. I’m going to miss you two.” Kihyun frowned as ran his fingers through Hero’s shiny fur. Planting a kiss there, he sighed as he stood up.

Hoseok snickered as he opened the door for him and joked, “You always kiss Hero goodbye but not me? Bye Hero, I’ll see you later.” He blew a kiss at Hero as he closed the door.

“I _do_ kiss you goodbye!” Kihyun laughed. He held Hoseok’s hand as they walked to his car. “I always kiss Hero first though.”

“Why? I met you first!”

“Hero loved me first.”

Hoseok pouted. “Unfair—Hero loves everybody.”

“Especially me,” Kihyun stated happily as he reached the car. In a teasing voice, he continued, “I only kiss people who love me back goodbye.”

“Hold on.” Hoseok chuckled as Kihyun reached the car door. Without unlocking it, he stood in front of him and smiled fondly. “We date for six months and you don’t think I love you back?”

Kihyun leaned back against the car with a smile full of mischief on his face. “I don’t know, do you?”

Feeling his cheeks lift up as he smiled, Hoseok brought his hand up to stroke Kihyun’s hair. “Of course I do,” he said. And while they had confessed their love to each other before, something about the way Hoseok spoke in this moment sounded so much more sincere and earnest.

Elation bubbled up in both of their stomachs as Kihyun took Hoseok’s hands and said, “Good. Then I can kiss you too.” He leaned over to leave a chaste kiss on Hoseok’s cheek, mimicking how he had kissed Hero earlier. “There.”

He turned to open the car door, but before he could, Hoseok touched his cheek with the backs of his fingers to turn his face back towards him. He chuckled at the soft confusion in Kihyun’s eyes when their gazes connected again, and before Kihyun could ask anything, he leaned in and pressed their lips together. Their lips were smooth and velvety against each other, Kihyun’s arms going up to wrap around Hoseok’s neck as he was pressed against the car.

When they separated, Hoseok was sure that his face was flushed from how warm it felt against Kihyun’s hands when they touched his face. Kihyun was grinning from ear to ear, his thumbs caressing Hoseok’s cheeks as he laughed in excitement.

“I love you,” Hoseok whispered as placed his hands on Kihyun’s waist. “Like, a lot.”

Kihyun’s smile was as kind as ever as he looked up at the sky and laughed. “You’re going to kiss me now? When I have to leave for a week? Do you just want me thinking about you in my meetings instead of work?’

“Maybe,” Hoseok sang as he leaned down to peck him again. “We have all night to practice for when you come back, right?”

Kihyun made a face as Hoseok finally unlocked the car and they slipped in. “Me? Spend all night kissing you? How could I when I think of Hero all alone in your home?”

Rolling his eyes, Hoseok started the car and adjusted the mirrors. “So you don’t want to kiss me all night?”

“Well, I didn’t say that.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I would feel too guilty getting to kiss you all night long when your poor dog is waiting for you at home. Hero could be getting kisses from both of us. But instead we’re kissing each other.” Kihyun shook his head sympathetically.

“Hey, what Hero doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

“You’re awful.”

“I’m not awful.” Hoseok grinned. “I’m just in love with you.”

And in that moment, Hoseok was sure that Kihyun’s smile and sparkles in his eyes had cemented his spot in Hoseok’s heart, right next to Hero.

  
  
  
  


 

 

So no, Hoseok was definitely _not_ insecure. How could he be, when Kihyun was his boyfriend of now three years and counting. And right next to Hero, Kihyun was one of the greatest things that had ever entered his life. Similarly for Hero, Kihyun was probably the person he loved most aside from Hoseok.

Which, in Hoseok’s eyes, might have been part of his problem.

Because he wasn’t insecure, but maybe he was a little jealous sometimes at how much affection Kihyun had for Hero. It wasn’t really later into their relationship that Hoseok started noticing it.

The first time he noticed it was when he had come down with the flu.

Kihyun had come over to take care of him, making him soup and fluffing his pillows whenever he needed it. Hoseok would ask for kisses but receive none under Kihyun’s strict policy of no kissing when sick (which he thought was absolutely unnecessary.) All Hoseok wanted to do was snuggle, which he thought he relayed to Kihyun very clearly through his stuffy nose, but for some reason Kihyun always seemed to wriggle out of his arms when he thought he had him tight and secure in them.

“Babe.” Hoseok sniffed miserably. He moved underneath his quilts in discomfort and watched as Kihyun refilled his glass of water and placed a bowl of porridge on his nightstand. “Babe, I want a kiss. Just one.”

Kihyun snickered. “Sorry, baby, you’re not getting one. I’m going to get sick from you, thank you very much!”

With a pout, Hoseok reached out and clung onto the edge of Kihyun’s shirt. “But babe, you’ve been here all day but it feels like I barely see you or Hero.”

“Hero can get sick from you too, so I’m keeping him outside until your fever breaks,” Kihyun stated. There was no room for convincing in his tone and it should have discouraged Hoseok, but he only begged harder.

“Come on, just one kiss!”

“No, Hoseok.”

“Can’t you just lay down with me for a little bit?”

Kihyun snorted. “No.”

“You’re being unfair.”

“You’re just being annoying.”

Hoseok let out a loud whine and held on to Kihyun harder. “How could you call me annoying when I’m sick?! I thought I was going to get spoiled.”

“You’re not going to get spoiled.” Kihyun turned and bent down to smile a centimeter away from his face, still without kissing him. “You’re going to get better.” He kissed the tips of his fingers and then pressed them to Hoseok’s mouth. “That’s all you’re going to get for a kiss from me.”

Hoseok frowned harder and he sniffed hard. He sunk into his pillows and grumbled, “I hate this. Why is it so hard to kiss you?”

Kihyun laughed as he tucked Hoseok’s blanket tighter around him. “Wouldn’t be so hard if you weren’t sick, so get better for me.”

“Easy for you to say,” he muttered under his breath.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Kihyun grinned and chuckled as he massaged Hoseok’s thighs. “What was it that you said to me on our anniversary? On our second anniversary?”

“That I would do anything for you…”

“What was that?”

“That I would do anything for you,” Hoseok said louder. He rolled his eyes and nestled further in his blankets and pillows Kihyun had set up for him.

Kihyun grinned. “Yes. Which means you’ll get better for me, right?”

“I guess.”

“Thanks, baby.” Kihyun blew him a kiss and left with a bright smile.

“Are you staying?” Hoseok asked as Kihyun went to leave.

Kihyun looked up at him and said, “Oh, yeah. Who else is going to take care of Hero? I’m going to walk him while you rest.”

Hoseok frowned again. “You’re going to walk him without me?”

“Promise you won’t miss much,” Kihyun giggled. He blew him another kiss and then closed the door.

Hoseok did end up falling asleep quite quickly after that—it turned out being sick was exhausting, despite doing nothing but laying in bed and sleeping.

  
  
  
  


 

 

Hours later, Hoseok woke up to the gentle sound of rain pelting his window. It was the early, dead hours of the morning—sometime between three or four—and he felt much better. His chills were gone and it felt so much easier to breathe.

Since he felt so much better, he decided to get out of bed and see if Kihyun was still there. His floors were cold and hard against his bare feet as he stepped out of his bedroom. But despite feeling cold, he felt warmed to the very tips of his body when he found Kihyun sleeping on the couch with Hero in his arms, the television quietly blaring some late night cartoons in the darkness. A blanket covered the both of them as flashes of colors lit the two every few seconds.

Hero perked up immediately when Hoseok walked out, his eyes alert and his ears pointing straight up. Hoseok chuckled as he walked over and scratched him behind the ears.

“You’re in my spot,” he rasped out with a laugh.

Hero only stared up at him and then licked his hand before settling his head back down next to Kihyun. Kihyun’s hands were in his fur, clutching softly as he snored. Hoseok could have bent down and kissed him there but he knew Kihyun wouldn’t have allowed him if he was awake.

So instead he snapped a quick picture because he would be lying if he said the image of Kihyun and Hero sleeping together wasn’t absolutely heartwarming. His mouth was a little salty seeing them together while he was all alone in his room being sick; quarantined. But ultimately, it was cute.

It should have been _him_ in Kihyun’s arms instead of Hero.

But it was still cute.

  
  
  


 

 

 

 

Hoseok supposed that the second time he noticed this strange feeling was when Kihyun had come over for a movie night. He always loved providing snacks while Hoseok provided the hot chocolate so organizing movie nights was always something Hoseok looked forward to.

“Hey, baby!” Kihyun greeted him enthusiastically and kissed his cheek. “I just went shopping for snacks, so I have a lot.”

Hoseok grinned at him and kissed him on the lips before Kihyun could step past him into the apartment. “You didn’t have to shop for snacks if you were short on time. I know work’s been kicking your ass lately. And I always have leftover snacks from you here.”

“I know.” Kihyun smiled as he took off his shoes. “But shopping is relaxing after work. Besides, I love buying new snacks for us to try.”

Hoseok’s smile faltered momentarily when he remembered an array of horrid snacks he and Kihyun had tried together before. It seemed he was always at the mercy of Kihyun’s curiosity, and while he wouldn’t complain, sometimes there was just no reward for the risk.

“Hi, Hero!” Kihyun exclaimed when Hero came bounding up to him. “How’s my boy?” He set his bag of newly bought snacks down on Hoseok’s counter so he could bend down and pet Hero’s fur fondly. Hero barked in return and Kihyun laughed and kissed him between his ears.

“He missed you,” Hoseok teased as he took the grocery bag. “I missed you too, you know.”

Kihyun hugged Hero close, smushing their cheeks together as he looked up at Hoseok innocently. “You missed me?” Hero’s mouth opened and his tongue flopped out as he panted happily despite being squished up against Kihyun.

Hoseok lowered himself and kissed them both of the nose loudly. “My babies.”

“I’m older than Hero, you know,” Kihyun snickered as he stood up and wrapped his arms around Hoseok’s waist.

“Should I call you my boys then?” Hoseok asked in a low voice. A deep chuckle left his throat as he kissed Kihyun softly on the mouth. “Or would you prefer something else?” he whispered before leaning in for another kiss. He could feel Kihyun grinning against his mouth each time.

“I’m your boyfriend, not your _boy,”_ he clarified in a playful tone. “And I would prefer you call me that, thank you very much.”

Hoseok kissed his neck. “Yeah? Then you’re Kihyun, my boyfriend.” He kissed his neck two more times, holding Kihyun tight in his grip as he tried to squirm away while laughing. Kihyun was always so ticklish whenever he peppered his neck with kisses. “Not like I need to call you my boyfriend all the time for you to know.”

 _“Stop,”_ Kihyun laughed as Hoseok began kissing up his neck. “We need to pick a movie! Or else we’ll never get to watch anything!”

“I mean, I have something else in mind if you want to skip the movie,” Hoseok whispered against his jaw.

Kihyun shook his head as he pulled away. “Mm-mm, nope. It’s Hero’s turn to pick tonight and we’re not skipping that.”

Hoseok pouted as Kihyun went to pick up Hero (Hero was fully sized now, and Kihyun picking him up and carrying him like a baby was absolutely ridiculous. But Hoseok wasn’t going to interfere.) “Hero picked _last_ week.”

“Yeah, because _you_ couldn’t decide.”

“No, because you were looking at Hero the whole time! You only noticed when he picked up a DVD but not me!”

Kihyun shrugged as he settled down on the nest of blankets on the floor with Hero on his lap. “Not my problem!” he sang. “Bring the snacks over while Hero chooses, please!”

With a sigh of fake annoyance, Hoseok brought the bag over, peeking into it as Kihyun let his husky nudge through a stack of DVD cases. It didn’t strike Hoseok until he sat down that the bag wasn’t exactly filled with snacks he could eat.

“Wait…” he murmured. “Ki, baby, hold on—these are all dog snacks.”

Kihyun looked up in shock. “They are?”

Hoseok thought he was joking, but the look in Kihyun’s eyes seemed genuinely surprised. “Yeah,” he replied. “Babe, these are all snacks for dogs.”

“Oh.” Kihyun hummed. “Well… we can just feed them to Hero then!” he said brightly. “Problem solved.”

“Okay, but what about us?” Hoseok asked.

Kihyun blinked at him. “I mean. You said you always kept leftovers.” He smiled hopefully.

Hoseok rolled his eyes as he went up to fetch whatever snacks Kihyun had left at his place before. It wasn’t that big of a deal, truthfully—just a little strange that Kihyun had only bought dog snacks instead of snacks for them to eat. And maybe, later that night, when Hoseok was sharing a bowl of whatever snack they were eating, and Kihyun was watching the movie peacefully with Hero taking up his entire lap, he had felt his first small bout of jealousy.

Over his own dog.

  
  
  
  


 

 

 

Hoseok was absolutely positive he was just being stupid. But no matter how much he convinced himself of that, it still didn’t do anything to alleviate the weird pit in his stomach whenever Kihyun beelined for Hero rather than him. It wasn’t like he needed the validation—he knew Kihyun loved him. Kihyun always texted him good night and good morning first, always put Hoseok before him, always kissed him on the cheek whenever he could.

So it shouldn’t have _really_ bothered him that Kihyun was walking a few steps ahead of him in order to walk Hero, but it still nagged at him in the back of his head. Maybe it was because Hoseok just really wanted to hold Kihyun’s hand but he was just barely out of reach.

It should not have bothered him when Kihyun ran ahead to collect Hero’s poop (in fact, Hoseok was more than grateful that he had a boyfriend who had previous dog experience. It helped them connect and was probably one of the biggest things that aided Hoseok into falling in love with Kihyun) but with Hero’s poop bag now in Kihyun’s free hand, Hoseok really didn’t have any chance to hold it. He felt a little stupid for feeling deflated every time he looked at Kihyun’s occupied hands, especially because he did have a great time in the end.

It was just the small things that seemed to bother him.

  
  
  


 

 

 

“You’re right, that does sound stupid.”

Hoseok frowned. “Thank you for validating my insecurities.”

Minhyuk snorted as he leaned back in his armchair. “I mean, what do you want me to say? _Don’t worry if you feel jealous that your boyfriend likes spending more time with your dog than you. It happens to the best of us.”_

“That would have been a lot nicer.”

“It’d also be a lot stupider.”

“Stop calling me stupid.”

“Only when you stop being stupid, stupid.”

“Spare me,” Hoseok begged. He slumped in his chair and massaged his temple. _“Please.”_

Minhyuk raised an eyebrow at him in amusement. “So you come to me, tell me about how you feel insecure because Kihyun might be paying more attention to your dog than you, and you expect me not to make fun of you for it?”

“Yes.”

“That’s very big of you.”

_“Please.”_

“That’s literally _so_ stupid.” Minhyuk snickered again. “I don’t know what to tell you Hoseok. But I can tell you that I doubt Kihyun prioritizes your dog over you. Why be insecure over that—you both love Hero. There’s no use being jealous over your dog. It’s not like Kihyun dates you for your dog.”

Hoseok frowned. “Well, I _didn’t_ think that until you said it.”

“Oh my god, _Hoseok.”_

“I’m sorry! I know it's ridiculous but I just—!” He exhaled loudly and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think Kihyun only wants to come over with Hero and I just wonder if we’ve burned out or something? Like, of course he sees me too, but he’s more excited to see my dog. I just feel that sometimes he only comes to see me out of obligation, but since he doesn’t really want to see me, he just goes to Hero instead. Am I boring, or something?”

Minhyuk blinked at all of the information as he sat there in thought. “You think you’re boring?”

“A little, I guess…” Hoseok murmured in reply. “But I’m not boring though! It’s not like Kihyun ignores me purposefully! Maybe he just… finds Hero more interesting sometimes.”

“So you _are_ jealous of your dog.”

“I—!”

“Because that’s what it sounds like to me.” Minhyuk made a face at him. “Loser.”

“Stop that! I’m not jealous of my dog! I’m just… a little jealous of the attention he gets from my boyfriend sometimes.” He hummed to himself. “Maybe it's because we haven’t gotten intimate lately because of work. And when we do see each other it's just for really basic dates.”

Minhyuk shifted in his seat and said, “Then that sounds like your relationship just needs some spicing up is all.”

“It’s hard to spice up with Hero around.”

“Haven’t you ever left him at a sitter’s ever since you adopted him?” Minhyuk asked.

Hoseok blinked. “N… No.”

“Hoseok,” Minhyuk gaped. “Three years and not _once_ have you left Hero with a sitter?”

“Well, it’s not like I really need to travel for work! And I haven’t taken a vacation in a while either. It’s just been… me, Kihyun and Hero for the past three years.” Hoseok sighed softly to himself. “And it’s not like it’s a bad thing. I love them both so much.”

“Of course it’s not a bad thing,” Minhyuk agreed. Standing up, he said, “Tell you what—how about I watch Hero for a few hours, let you and Kihyun get some alone time. That would be nice, right?”

“Really?” Hoseok’s eyes lit up. “You would do that?”

“Course! I love Hero also!” Minhyuk laughed. “Plus, it sounds like you two need the alone time.”

Hoseok grinned. “Oh my gosh, Minhyuk, I would literally never be able to thank you enough.”

“Don’t thank me, really. It’s the least I could do.” Minhyuk grinned at him.

When Hoseok left Minhyuk’s place that day, he felt so light and excited. Maybe all this time, all he needed really was just some time to have Kihyun to himself.

  
  
  
  


 

 

 

It would be a lie if Hoseok said he hadn’t prepared specifically for this night. He had champagne chilling and a few romantic movies picked out for the evening. He was more than excited to finally have an evening alone with Kihyun in what felt like ages, although he supposed being alone with Hero was still alone to some extent. But to finally have Kihyun without him getting distracted by Hero—Hoseok was excited.

“Hey!” Hoseok greeted Kihyun giddily when he opened the door. He laughed when Kihyun pressed a loud kiss to his cheek.

Kihyun grinned up at him. “Hey, baby. I feel like I haven’t seen you in so long.”

Hoseok bent down to kiss him and then said, “It’s been nearly a week and that’s a pretty long time if you ask me. How was work?”

“Not bad,” he replied as he took off his shoes and walked in. “My boss is being super rude to me though and I wish he’d just hit his head and pass out for a bit to make my life easier. But other than that!” He chuckled. “Things are working pretty nicely. I’m looking at a new apartment also—something a little bigger so that…” His face fell momentarily. “That…”

Hoseok held his hand as he walked inside. “That?” he prompted.

Kihyun looked over his shoulder and around Hoseok’s home a few times, his eyes clouding with some confusion as his steps slowed. “Um… babe, where’s… where’s Hero?” He pouted.

“Oh.” Hoseok intertwined their fingers a little harder as he said, “I had Minhyuk take him for a night. I figured we could take the time to get a bit closer.” He turned to wrap his arms around Kihyun’s waist, massaging his sides as he kissed his nose. “You know what I mean?”

Kihyun melted into his touch, biting his lower lip and humming as he leaned into Hoseok’s embrace. “Mm…” he murmured. “I think I know.” He kissed Hoseok softly on the mouth. Wrapping his arms around Hoseok’s neck, he whispered, “We haven’t done this in a while.”

“No, we haven’t,” Hoseok sang in return as he bent down to mouth at Kihyun’s neck. “And we got the place _all_ to ourselves tonight.”

“No Hero?” Kihyun asked, though his voice seemed more teasing than anything.

“No Hero.”

  
  
  
  
  


 

 

Hoseok woke up to the sound of knocking on his door. He was stark naked on his sheets, Kihyun’s warmth up against his sides. Kihyun’s head lay against his bicep as he hugged him loosely around his waist. His skin still felt so hot against Hoseok’s despite the two of them having been asleep for hours.

The knocking persisted and Hoseok shifted in his sleep, his eyes squinting open in the early rays of morning light. He had remembered drawing the curtains closed with one arm while holding Kihyun up with the other, Kihyun’s legs wrapped around his waist and his arms wrapped around Hoseok’s neck as he left hot kisses all down Hoseok’s neck. He laughed softly through his nose at the memory.

Kihyun groaned when Hoseok shifted underneath him. Without opening his eyes, he snuggled closer into Hoseok’s neck and rasped out, “Who is at the door this early in the morning?”

“Not sure,” Hoseok whispered, brushing his knuckles against Kihyun’s face. His cheeks were still softly flushed from the night before, hickeys still fresh on his neck.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table, receiving a smack against his chest from Kihyun. “Stop moving, I’m so sore,” he complained.

Hoseok laughed. “That’s not my fault.”

“It _is_ your fault.”

With a snicker, Hoseok checked his messages to see that it was Minhyuk at his door, returning Hero after a night away. Kihyun winced when Hoseok massaged his lower back so he gently moved himself away to grab a pair of sweats to pull on. Drowsily, he made his way to the door and opened it with a smile for both Minhyuk and Hero.

“Hey!” Minhyuk greeted. “I see you were able to get close like you wanted.”

Hoseok grinned as he bent down to greet Hero. “Yeah,” he chuckled as he looked back up at Minhyuk. “We did. Hey boy! I missed you!” Hero barked and licked him happily, his tail wagging rapidly as Hoseok continued, “How did Hero behave himself?”

“Oh, he was an angel. He definitely missed you though. He kept whining at me all night.” Minhyuk laughed. “I considered video calling so he could see you but I figured you and Kihyun were getting a little busy.”

“Well, you’re not wrong there.” Hoseok gave Minhyuk a quick hug as he handed over Hero’s leash. “Thanks so much for watching Hero again. I’m really grateful.”

“Anytime!” Minhyuk replied with a smile.

When Hoseok took off Hero’s leash and let him back into the home. Hero looked ecstatic to be back, his tongue flopping out of his giant grin and his tail wagging happily. And while Hoseok did think that a night without Hero was nice, it was also equally nice to have him back.

He smiled when Hero bounded towards his bedroom and he could hear Kihyun gasping and sitting up.

“Is that Hero?”

Hoseok snickered as he leaned against the doorframe, watching as Kihyun sat up in order to open up his arms to receive Hero, who jumped right onto the bed. Kihyun hugged him almost immediately, basking in all the attention Hero was giving him.

“I thought you were too sore?”

“I am!” Kihyun giggled when Hero licked his face. “But I’m always better for Hero.”

Hoseok snorted while making his way back to the bed. He leaned over and kissed Kihyun on his collarbone as Hero settled comfortably on his lap. “What, is there no spot for me?”

“No,” Kihyun teased, sticking his nose up. “My lap is for good boys only.”

“I’m a good boy.”

“Actually from what I recall, you were a bad boy last night.”

Hoseok raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Implying you didn’t like it.”

 _“Implying_ that you don’t deserve a spot on my lap.”

“Hey.” He went back to his side of the bed, leaning over to leave kisses all over Kihyun’s neck. “It sounds like a job for you, doesn’t it?”

“What is?”

“Making me a good boy.”

“If you’re implying that we have another round while Hero is here, I’m stopping you right there.”

“Oh come on!” Hoseok whined, flopping over. He lay his head on Kihyun’s blanket covered lap, right next to Hero. “You still haven’t put clothes on.”

“I may be naked but it’s definitely not for Hero to see.”

“We could leave Hero in the kitchen for a bit!”

“See! This is what I mean by you’re a bad boy!”

  
  
  


 

 

 

 

So while Hoseok thought that maybe a private night together was the answer to his problems, perhaps it wasn’t the answer at all. And really, it just seemed like he was only noticing more and more when Kihyun’s eyes went starry from looking at Hero. And he wasn’t jealous—he _wasn’t._

It was just getting tiring for all of his date nights to end with Kihyun in Hero’s arms instead of his own.

  
  
  


 

 

 

 

“Maybe… try holding date nights at Kihyun’s house?”

Hoseok looked up at Minhyuk, blinking as if he had discovered something revolutionary. “”Date nights at Kihyun’s?”

“Yeah, instead of your own. That way Hero isn’t even there to distract you two.” Minhyuk sipped loudly at his drink. “I mean, it’s not like you guys have a rift in your relationship or anything so it’s not like a desperate need to meet at his home.”

“No, our relationship is amazing,” Hoseok agreed with a small pout. “I just want him to be undistracted sometimes. LIke, last night, he wasn’t even paying attention to the movie because he was feeding Hero snacks.”

“Wow.”

“You would not believe how many times Hero is willing to roll over for Kihyun, it’s ridiculous. He won’t even roll over that many times for me!”

“Sounds like Hero and Kihyun are dating each other,” Minhyuk snickered.

“Hm…” Hoseok murmured. “Maybe we should try getting together at Kihyun’s house…” Pulling out his phone, he opened up his messages with Kihyun.

 _hey babe_ _  
_ _can i ask smth?_

_whats up bb_

_can we get together at ur house for date nights from now on?_

_huh_  
_oh_  
_i mean…_ _  
whats wrong with ur place?_

 _nothings wrong with it_  
_we just dont get together at yours often_  
_change of scenery u know?_ _  
ive never even stayed a night on your bed before ;)_

_but D:  
my house is a mess! _

Hoseok knew it wasn’t a mess. Kihyun was one of the most organized, clean people he had ever dated in his entire life.

_then we can clean it up together <3 _

_oh…_ _  
_ _will you bring hero?_

 _mmm for now, no_ _  
_ _dont wanna bring him over just yet_

_why not :(_

_so we can get some alone time_ _  
_ _and so we can clean it and make sure it's Hero proof lol_

 _oh_  
_:(_  
_well if that’s what you want_ _  
then we can do it_

 _thanks babe i love you_  
_dont be too sad_  
_you’ll see hero on the weekends still haha_ _  
love you <3_

:(  
_love you too_  
_:(((_ _  
<3_

“He’s pouting.”

“How can you tell?”

“That’s his pouting emoticon.”

“Is he upset?”

Hoseok frowned. “Yes.”

  
  
  


 

 

 

 

Kihyun seemed to pout the entire time. It was strange to Hoseok because although he and Kihyun were having a good time together, Hero’s absence seemed to be affecting them. Or, Kihyun, at the very least, because when there was any moment where they were just sitting together, Kihyun would look down at his lap longingly. Every moment where Kihyun had a snack in his hands, he almost told Hoseok to roll over before feeding it to him.

And every time Hoseok asked him what was the matter when his pout was a little more pronounced than normal, Kihyun would just sigh and say he wished that Hero was there. And he acknowledged that it was silly of him to think that, especially when he was having such a nice time with Hoseok, he didn’t want to dampen the mood. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little deflated without his most favorite dog in the whole world.

“Babe. _Babe.”_

“Hm?”

Hoseok sighed when Kihyun was snapped out of his daydream. He massaged the back of Kihyun’s hand that he held. “You were spacing out again. You’re not even watching the movie.”

“Oh…” Kihyun frowned at himself. “I’m sorry. It’s just… the main guy has a dog and it reminded me of Hero.”

_“Kihyun.”_

“I’m sorry! I know it’s dumb.” Kihyun muttered to himself, “I just miss him is all.”

“I know you miss him. Which is funny and all because, you know, he’s _my_ dog,” Hoseok teased.

“He may be your dog but he’s the love of my life.”

_“Hey.”_

“Just like you.” Kihyun smiled up at him cheekily. But he sighed again as he curled up underneath Hoseok’s arm. “It’s not the same without Hero around. He’s part of the family.”

Hoseok kissed the crown of his head softly. “Yeah, but even we need time alone away from Hero. And besides, I’m here to sit in your lap if you want me to.”

“I guess.” Kihyun pouted down at their interlocked hands. He rubbed their fingers together and frowned deeper. “...You don’t have cute little paw pads like Hero does…”

“Kihyun, I’m a human. Of course I’m not going to have paw pads.”

Kihyun hummed in disappointment as he touched their pointer fingers together a little more. “...No toe beans for me to poke…”

Hoseok snorted and pulled his hands away from Kihyun in order to wrestle him softly onto his back, his chest bubbling up in affection as Kihyun laughed from his tickles. “What do you want?!” he asked as he laughed, kissing Kihyun’s cheeks every few moments. “I’m no dog, Kihyun!”

Kihyun giggled and wrapped his arms around Hoseok’s neck. “You should be!”

“Hero can’t kiss you like I can.” Hoseok leaned down to kiss him on the lips. “Or hold you like I can. Aren’t I better than Hero?”

“No paw pads, no me.”

“Hey, I can lick you better than Hero can.”

“First of all— _nasty._ Second—no one can lick me like Hero can.” Kihyun closed his eyes, a fake wistful sigh coming from his mouth. “He’s the best boy.”

“You’re so _dumb.”_

“What can I say! I know what I want.”

“You want me to roll over and beg before you feed me?”

“Baby, you know I’m into pet play.”

“I didn’t hear a no.”

“Well, you’re hearing it now, _no.”_

  
  
  


 

 

 

 

Hoseok decided that they would be getting together at Kihyun’s house for date nights much more often now and he was very unsurprised when Kihyun tried to protest it. But Kihyun could pout all he wanted because Hoseok was very stern with his decision. (It didn’t help that Kihyun _knew_ that Hoseok was weak when he pouted but he was unwilling to budge.)

Minhyuk, of course, thought the entire ordeal was utterly ridiculous and Hoseok supposed he wasn’t wrong. Minhyuk compared it to cutting Kihyun off from Hero like he was cut off from drugs, or caffeine, until he could function without it and Hoseok thought _that_ was too exaggerated despite the truth behind it.

Surely, Kihyun didn’t _depend_ on Hero. It wasn’t like Kihyun would die without him. It was kind of annoying but Hoseok was never insecure enough to be truly jealous of his own dog. Maybe Kihyun was a little more attached than he should have been but Hoseok didn’t really see it as a problem.

At least, he _didn’t._

_“We still meeting up for lunch?”_

Hoseok wedged his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he reached for his keys. “Yeah, I just need to grab something from my place before I meet up with you.”

Minhyuk made a short sound of confusion over the phone. _“What did you forget?”_

“My wallet,” Hoseok laughed. “I forgot it in the pocket of my jeans this morning.”

He heard Minhyuk snort. _“Idiot.”_

“I’m sorry! Kihyun gifted me a new wallet and I forgot I had moved everything over. So when I opened my wallet earlier today it was empty,” he chuckled.

_“Speaking of Kihyun, how have date nights been going? Does he still sulk when he can’t see Hero?”_

“Mmm… sometimes,” Hoseok admitted, a smile pulling at his mouth. “At first he was really pouty about it but lately it’s been okay. Although, he did suggest that we go for a walk last time. And that was cute and all, but he meant walk to my house so he could visit Hero.”

_“Is he still cut off?”_

“Stop saying I cut him off from Hero.” Hoseok rolled his eyes as he finally fumbled his keys out of his pocket. “It’s not like I don’t let them see each other. We still have date nights at my house. Just not as often.”

 _“Sounds like he’s still been cut off,”_ Minhyuk snickered. _“You monster.”_

“It’s for his own good!”

 _“Monster!”_ Minhyuk sang.

Hoseok sighed and laughed as he inserted his keys into the door and turned them. “I’m proud of him though. I think he understands what I’m doing this for and he knows it's just because I want to spend time with him and his undivided attention and—”

Hoseok stopped mid sentence after he opened his door. Minhyuk was still talking into his ear, asking what happened and why he had suddenly gone silent. But Hoseok was too shocked to explain, opting instead to hang up and shove his phone in his pocket while he gaped because there, in the center of his living room, unaware that he had even entered the house, was Kihyun.

Kihyun playing with Hero.

Kihyun was still oblivious to the fact that he had opened the door, his full attention on Hero as he whispered at him to roll over and shake his hand. It was when he was cooing at Hero about how much of a good boy he was and running his hands through his soft fur that Hoseok cleared his throat.

“Wow.”

A sharp gasp left Kihyun’s mouth as he shot up from his crouch position. “Hoseok—!” He tried to brush Hero’s stray fur off his clothes pitifully, also trying to keep Hero from jumping on him when he had just been caught. “It’s—! This isn’t what it looks like! I didn’t know you’d be coming home this early—!”

Hoseok blinked at him before ignoring his stammers and walking right past him. “I’m sure you didn’t.”

“Hoseok! Babe, wait—stay Hero! Babe, _wait!”_ Kihyun scrambled after him. “Let me explain!”

“I think I could see everything very well for myself,” Hoseok sighed. He entered his room, finding his wallet quite easily and pulling it out of his discarded jeans. He turned around to see Kihyun staring at him pleadingly from his door frame, wringing his hands nervously.  “Not sure how much you could explain.”

“I—”

Hoseok brushed past him. “I have to meet Minhyuk for lunch, we can talk about this later.”

“Babe, no!” Kihyun grabbed onto his arm and pulled him back, his eyes sad and full of regret as he pleaded. “Please, just… just let me explain. I know it wasn’t right of me to sneak into your house to play with Hero—!”

“Listen, baby, I know you love Hero.” Hoseok turned around to interrupt him. “You’ve been around since Hero was just a puppy. We both love him, I know. But sometimes…” He sighed sharply through his nose as looked at Kihyun, whose eyes were training onto the floor in embarrassment. “Sometimes, I feel like you’re just dating me for Hero.”

“What?” Kihyun’s face dropped more than it could have. “Babe, I love you and Hero both equally!”

_“Kihyun!”_

A small smile quirked at the edge of his lips as he tugged at Hoseok’s hand, “Okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Maybe it’s not the best time to joke.”

“It really _isn’t,”_ Hoseok said in exasperation.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m just… I’m sorry, Hoseok.” Kihyun pouted as he closed both of his hands over Hoseok’s. “It’s so silly of me to sneak behind your back to see Hero but I just… I missed him a lot.”

Hoseok sighed as he brought his other hand up to caress Kihyun’s cheek gently. “What’s going on with you, babe? I know you love Hero but don’t you think this is too much? You see him almost every other day—what do you need to sneak in for?”

“I just… I really missed him.” Kihyun stared down at the floor. “I should have asked you first but I was working from home today and you know how my place is so empty since I’m in the middle of moving and I was feeling lonely so I just… _missed_ him.”

“Babe, if you felt lonely you could have called me over and I’d come right away,” Hoseok said with a gentle smile. “And besides, you see Hero all the time.”

Kihyun looked up and for the first time, Hoseok saw something different in his eyes. They glistened like they normally did whenever Hoseok looked into them, but they were filled with a strange longing and sadness that he had never seen before.

“Babe?”

Kihyun bit his lip and looked away. “I… I don’t necessarily miss _Hero.”_

Hoseok felt something sink in his stomach a little bit. He had never seen Kihyun look like this before. He had seen Kihyun upset before, whether it be at him or not, but he had never seen Kihyun with such a sad look in his eyes before. The fingers gripping his hand had become weaker and softer and Hoseok felt a strange pang of sympathy hit him in the chest.

“KIhyun?” Hoseok said softly. He set down his keys and jacket, reminding himself to cancel with Minhyuk if this was leading where he thought it was. “Kihyun, is there something you haven’t told me?”

 _“...Maybe,”_ Kihyun muttered.

Hoseok stared at him, waited for Kihyun to look back at him. And when he didn’t, Hoseok carefully lifted his chin up with his fingers before asking, “What is it? Tell me, baby.”

Kihyun sighed another time before taking his hands away from Hoseok and wringing them nervously in front of himself. “It’s just… It’s doesn’t really have anything to do with you or Hero specifically.”

“Come here.” Hoseok could took Kihyun by his hands and kissed them before leading him over to the couch. He gestured for Hero to join them and smiled when Hero gladly settled in between them, his head in Kihyun’s lap, his tail wagging in Hoseok’s lap. Kihyun smiled softly as he scratched underneath Hero’s chin.

“I’m still sorry,” Kihyun apologized softly. He looked up at Hoseok as he pet Hero behind his ears. “I shouldn’t have done this thing behind your back.”

“It’s a little weird, I agree. But beyond that. Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

With a large inhale and large exhale, Kihyun’s hands tightened slightly in Hero’s fur.

  
  
  
  
  


 

 

“He used to have this dog named Sugar.”

 _“Sugar?”_ Minhyuk asked. A few days had passed and Hoseok was treating him out to lunch since he had cancelled prior. Minhyuk had almost rolled his eyes when he found out the reason was Kihyun, but after Hoseok said he would treat him out as an apology, he wasn’t so annoyed anymore.

“Yeah. An old family dog. He showed me pictures.” Hoseok’s mouth quirked into a smile. “It was a really cute dog, white and small.”

“And this has to do with Hero because…?”

Hoseok inhaled deeply through his nose. “Well, Kihyun basically grew up with Sugar. He was an old dog by the time Kihyun was moving out and right before Kihyun finished his move, he died.”

“Oh.” Minhyuk gasped softly. “Oh no.”

“Yeah…” Hoseok frowned to himself. “I didn’t know. I mean, I knew that he used to raise dogs but I didn’t know that… that his family dog had died so recently when we had met. I felt so bad when he told me that Sugar had died right before he met Hero. He started crying, I felt _so bad,_ Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk’s hand came up to cover his mouth. “Oh no, he cried?”

Hoseok nodded with a sympathetic look on his face. “Yeah. He said that he thinks that why he’s so attached to Hero. He met Hero so soon, he just kind of projected on him instead of getting over the death of Sugar. And I just never knew.” His eyes were downcast. “He’s always kind of had a dog around him, and with his current apartment being too small for a dog, all he’s had since Sugar died is Hero.”

“Oh man, no wonder he always wants to be around Hero.”

“We talked and he does love me, he really does, but when he’s at home by himself, he just really wishes he had a dog. And he just wants to call Hero over to curl up at the foot of his bed or just lay in his lap while he works.”

“And he hasn’t looked at adopting a new dog yet?”

“No, not yet.” Hoseok rested his cheek in his hand. “His apartment was too small and didn’t allow pets. Plus he had Hero to help look after. And I guess it’s also partially my fault I let him get so attached because I would ask him for advice since it was my first time raising a dog on my own.”

Minhyuk blinked in interest. “It sounds like he has empty nest syndrome. But… for his late dog.”

“Except his dog is never coming back, asshole.”

“Oh shit, right—”

Hoseok pouted “I felt so bad, Minhyuk, I almost started crying when he started crying. I didn’t know Sugar had died so recently.” He sighed and looked up. “We talked for a long time about it. I cancelled all my plans to be with him and I think we talked until it past dinner. It was a while, but I think he found closure so I’m happy about that.”

“So… he’s not desperate for Hero anymore?” Minhyuk asked.

Hoseok nodded slightly. “Yeah, I guess so. I know it's only been a couple days but he’s already gotten calmer, I feel like. He kept thanking me and I just… man, I just…”

Minhyuk laughed softly. “You felt bad, right?”

“Yeah…”

“I mean, I do agree that him sneaking into your house to play with your dog is a little whack.” Minhyuk snorted. “But it’s also hilarious.”

 _“Minhyuk.”_ Hoseok rolled his eyes but he had a smile on his face.

 _“Come on,”_ Minhyuk snickered a little more. “You can’t tell me that that isn’t a little funny. The reason for it is pretty sad, yeah, but he snuck into your home to play with your dog.”

Hoseok’s smile quirked a little more and Minhyuk starting laughing harder. “I _mean—”_

“Oh my god, Hoseok, if you tell this story to anyone, it sounds like Kihyun was cheating on you but he was just playing with your dog!” Minhyuk bursted into laughter. “You can’t tell me that’s not funny!”

Hoseok snorted then also, shaking his head as Minhyuk laughed. _“Okay,_ you’re not wrong, that’s _pretty_ ridiculous.”

“It may be a bit of a sad story on Kihyun’s part, but at least there’s a happy ending,” Minhyuk commented with a smile. “It didn’t even affect you guys that much, it just sounds like a silly story to me.”

“Yeah,” Hoseok grinned as he chuckled to himself. “You’re right, I guess we got to a happy ending to this chapter of our lives.” And then, with a knowing smile, he pulled out his phone and opened it to show Minhyuk something. “We’re about to get happier though now that Kihyun is will be finished moving into his new apartment in a week.”

Minhyuk gave him a confused glance before taking the phone Hoseok handed to him. But as soon as he looked at the screen, his eyes lit up, widening immensely as he gasped.

  
  
  


 

 

 

 

“Babe, you didn’t have to do this for me.” Kihyun grinned up at his boyfriend.

Hoseok smiled and dropped a kiss onto his forehead. “Are you kidding? Of course I’d do it for you.”

Kihyun had been at work when Hoseok had told him that he would stop by his new apartment to finish setting things up. They had been spending their weekends together moving all of Kihyun’s things in and his apartment had just needed some finishing touches that Hoseok had offered to do while Kihyun was at work.

Kihyun took off his shoes and placed his keys on his table. “You’re such a sweetheart, I can’t believe you.” His cheeks were flushed in affection as he immediately went into Hoseok’s arms for a hug. “Work kicked my ass today, I’m so glad I have you.”

Hoseok laughed and hugged him warmly. “Me and not Hero?”

“Of course you _and_ Hero,” Kihyun chuckled as he looked up to kiss him. “But I didn’t see Hero hanging up my curtains.”

“I mean…” Hoseok looked over to where Hero was, in the kitchen, quietly lapping out of his bowl. “Hero _helped_ me hang them up.”

Kihyun laughed as he went over to greet Hero. “Still the best boy in this house.”

“I hung up your curtains!”

“I _suppose,”_ Kihyun teased. He grabbed a bag of dog treats from his cupboard and took some into his hand to feed Hero. “How’s my good boy!”

Hero brightened at his voice, immediately standing up to lick his cheeks before eating the treats out of his hand. Kihyun laughed giddily as he bent down to kiss Hero on the head. He glanced around the kitchen to see what Hoseok had added while he had finished preparing the apartment.

“Hey babe?”

“Yes?”

“What are there pee pads in the kitchen for? Hero hasn’t used them in so long.” He looked up at Hoseok with a soft, puzzled look in his eyes. “And the new feeding bowl you bought for him is a little small also.”

“Oh.” Hoseok leaned on the counter to smile down at him. “I know we said we would bring Hero over now since your place is bigger and that he’d have a new set of things here but… I left Hero’s stuff back at my place. And you’re right—the new stuff is a little small.”

“Yeah.” Kihyun’s eyebrows knit as he stroked Hero absentmindedly. “You know Hero is a big dog, how come you bought this stuff?”

Hoseok tilted his head as if to acknowledge Kihyun’s point. “I suppose you’re right. I also got something that might make this all better, I left it in your room though so wait right here.”

“Okay,” Kihyun replied absentmindedly as he turned his attention back to Hero.

Kihyun was so thankful for both Hero and Hoseok. He had always been thankful for them, but he hadn’t realized how much of an importance they both held in his life until he had poured his heart out to Hoseok. He had never really realized how much his late dog’s passing had affected him until then and he would probably never find all the time in the world it would take to thank Hoseok for just being there for him.

“You’re just so sweet, aren’t you?” Kihyun whispered as he stroked Hero fondly. “Maybe you guys really are my heroes.” Hero stared at him blankly, panting happily as Kihyun continued to pet him. “I bet you can’t even understand me.”

“Maybe not Hero, but I can definitely understand you.”

Kihyun smiled as he heard Hoseok’s voice from behind him. Hero had perked up immediately at his owner’s. “It’s okay—Hero knows what I mean.”

Hoseok whispered, “Don’t you think calling me your hero is a little dramatic?”

“I guess it’s a little dramatic,” Kihyun said as he stood up and began turning around. “But that doesn’t mean I—”

Kihyun stopped when his eyes landed on Hoseok. Hoseok grinned as their eyes met, his eyes full of affection and warmth as he took short steps towards Kihyun. The gasp Kihyun let out was quiet as his eyes misted at the sight before him because right in front of him, Hoseok was walking towards him with the smallest, charcoal gray puppy in his arms.

“Not too loud,” Hoseok whispered as he stroked the small puppy. “She’s still not really used to her new surroundings yet.”

 _“Hoseok…”_ Kihyun murmured out, still in shock. His eyes wouldn’t leave the puppy. “Hoseok, what…?”

Hoseok grinned as Kihyun came to meet him halfway in the kitchen. He acknowledged Hero with a short raise of his eyebrows and nodded when Hero stayed still, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the new puppy. “This is Boo. She’s a weimaraner and she’s just a couple days old.”

“She’s beautiful… Can I hold her?” Kihyun asked as he looked up into Hoseok’s eyes.

“Of course, of course.” Hoseok handed Boo over carefully, his heart filling to the brim as he saw how carefully Kihyun cradled her in his arms. Kihyun’s eyes were unable to look away, overflowing with instant infatuation as he stroked her lovingly.

“She’s absolutely gorgeous,” Kihyun whispered. He left the softest kiss on the top of her head and smiled when Boo’s eyes fluttered. “Where did you get her?”

“My friend of mine has a friend whose dog just gave birth to a bunch of puppies and they were giving them up for adoption. I saw her and I thought of us so…” Hoseok smiled as he stood close with Kihyun. “Here we are.”

Kihyun breathed softly through his nose, his eyes locked onto Boo so affectionately that Hoseok wondered that if he would ever blink. “I absolutely love her already,” Kihyun said.

“Well, I hope you do. I adopted him under your name, after all.”

The look on Kihyun’s face was one of utter shock as he gasped and looked up at his boyfriend. “Hoseok,” he said.

“Yeah?”

_“Hoseok.”_

_“Yes?”_

“Are you serious?” Kihyun’s voice was small as he asked.

Hoseok stroked Kihyun’s cheek with the back of his hand and smiled at him. “I mean, you moved into a bigger apartment and you said you got lonely by yourself so I thought it would have been the best time to introduce another member to our family. I know I didn’t ask you because I wanted to keep it a surprise, but I thought maybe you’d like to raise Boo in your apartment. Now, if you don’t want to, I can always find a different home for Boo, make sure she’s safe and—”

Hoseok was interrupted when Kihyun looked away from Boo long enough to lean forward and leave a long, soft kiss on his lips. His eyes were sparkling when he pulled away, his grin wide and warm as he breathed through his nose gently. His eyes were so filled with love, Hoseok wasn’t sure if it was for him or for Boo, but either way, it was such a tender moment between them, he didn’t want it to end.

“I love this, Hoseok. I love her and I love _you.”_ Kihyun shook his head in amazement and disbelief. “And I would be more than happy to raise her.”

With a soft smile, Hoseok held Kihyun’s cheek in his palm and kissed him one more time, pulling away and kissing Boo on top of her head before saying, “I’m glad. And I love you too. Just as much as I know Boo will.”

“I might cry, Hoseok, she’s so precious.”

“No, Kihyun, oh my god, don’t cry or else I’ll cry.”

“Right, you’re right, we can’t both cry.”

“No, we can’t.” Hoseok laughed lightly and put his arm around his boyfriend. “Lets introduce her to Hero.”

Kihyun’s grin nearly split his face in two as he looked over his shoulder to where Hero was sitting obediently and excitedly. Something about having a puppy in his arms, a dog staring at him expectantly, and a boyfriend wrapping his arms around him made Kihyun feel so safe and at home. And moreover, he felt so loved and full. He couldn’t imagine life getting any better than this.

“Hero!” he called. “Come here, boy! Come meet your new sister.”

  
  


 

 

 

 

“Come on, Hero! Just a little more!”

Kihyun laughed as he watched Hoseok wrestle Hero into a costume. It was Halloween night and they were planning on trick or treating together as a family. (Although, Kihyun was ready for his neighbors to ask him why he was trick or treating at this age even though he would insist it was for his new puppy.)

“I’ve never seen Hero put up such a fight before,” Kihyun snickered. He picked up a large basket that Boo was sitting in and held it in his arms. Boo hadn’t finished receiving all of her vaccines yet so she wasn’t going to walk outside. But Kihyun was more than happy to carry her in his basket. It helped that he was going as a male version of little red riding hood—the basket came as a nice touch. Boo was still small enough to fit in a basket and Kihyun didn’t think she was more adorable when she was peeking her head out of the basket he carried on his arm.

“Well!” Hoseok laughed as he finally got Hero’s front paw through the costume. “Hero doesn’t really like wearing things so colorful. And maybe he’s not so fond of the glasses.”

Perhaps Hero did look a little ridiculous dressed up in grandma’s clothing. Although, the lavender lace dress did compliment his silvery fur quite well, in Kihyun’s humble opinion. Kihyun pulled out a few treats from his pocket and squat down in front of Hero.

“Hero! Sit, boy!”

Hero seemed to be able to catch the hint very quickly, his attention going straight to Kihyun’s hands as he sat his butt down and wagged his tail. His mouth opened into a large grin as he stared at Kihyun expectantly, panting.

“What a little kiss up,” Hoseok snorted as he fastened what looked like a light purple shower cap covered in lace. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kihyun holding up his finger, telling Hero to _stay, stay… now shake—good boy!_ Hero was so obedient when it came to Kihyun, Hoseok figured it was because Kihyun was more prone to spoiling than he was.

“I got him to stay still for you though,” Kihyun sang through his teeth as Hoseok finished tying a belt around Hero’s stomach. He held Hero’s face between his hands and kissed him on top of his head. “What a good boy! Look at you—all dressed up!”

Hero barked with a large smile, his tongue flopping out of his mouth in delight. Kihyun giggled as his face was licked with such enthusiasm, he thought he would die from how ticklish his insides felt.

Hoseok stood up and wiped the sweat from his brow.“Well, Hero is all dressed now. It took fifteen minutes, but we got him in! How about Boo?”

At the sound of her name, Boo barked, the sound much higher than Hero’s as she smiled from her spot in Kihyun’s basket. She was dressed as a s’more, her dark colored body acting as the chocolate between her fabric graham crackers and marshmallow. Hoseok would be a fool if he resisted kissing her on the top of her head. He had laughed so hard when he and Kihyun had decided that Boo would be dressed up as a treat for Kihyun’s goodie basket.

“Boo was so easy to get dressed up,” Kihyun cooed, scratching underneath her chin with his finger. “She’s such an angel.”

“She’s so much calmer than Hero is,” Hoseok chuckled. Panting slightly from still grappling with Hero, he lowered himself to eye level with Boo and scrunched his nose right in front of her face. He smiled and puckered his lips for her to kiss.

“She loves you so much,” Kihyun said as he watched Boo lick Hoseok all over his lips and his face.

Hoseok kissed Boo on her nose and then straightened. “Good. Balances out how much Hero loves you.”

“Hero just loves me because I’m the best,” Kihyun sniffed. “Isn’t that right, Hero?” He smiled gratefully when Hero jumped up on him and licked his face.

Hoseok snickered and said, “Careful—that big bad wolf just wants to eat you.”

“Yeah? And what are you going to do about it.”

“Save you, of course.” Hoseok stated obviously. He brought his toy axe over his shoulder. It was small and child like and looked absolutely ridiculous against Hoseok’s large shoulders. “I’ll make sure Hero can’t eat you.”

“Oh, is that right?” Kihyun asked with a raise of his eyebrow, setting Boo’s basket down to wrap his arms around Hoseok’s neck. “You’re going to make sure of that, Mr. Axeman?”

Hoseok grinned and nipped at Kihyun’s ear. “I can’t promise that you won’t get eaten at all though.”

“You nasty.”

“Am I wrong?”

“The only thing _you’re_ eating tonight is candy,” Kihyun said matter-of-factly despite Hoseok still licking at his ear. “Because no candy, no me.”

“Oh my god, _babe.”_

“So,” Kihyun continued, “that means you better work for the candy tonight. I want buckets full.”

“We’re only bringing two baskets with us.”

Kihyun grinned cheekily and leaned up to give Hoseok a kiss on the nose. “Okay, true, but if we get enough candy to last us weeks then consider yourself my hero.”

Hero perked up at his name and barked which made Boo bark from her small basket. Kihyun laughed and adjusted the red cape over his shoulders as he bent down to ruffle Hero’s fur.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t forget—you’ll always be my Hero first.”

Hoseok snorted and picked up Boo into his arms, her small body fitting snugly against his body. “And you’re my boo,” he cooed. Hoseok thought it was hilarious (and maybe just) that Boo tended to gravitate towards him more when the four of them were together.

“Stop being gross with my dog.”

Hoseok laughed out loud. “Oh, how the tables have turned.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> literally this was supposed to be like 5k at most maybe this is peak shenanigans  
> anyways if u havent noticed i basically took a break from writing neverland to write kiho and dogs and while this most definitely was not supposed to reach 11k, i aint complaining  
> give kihyun a puppy @ starship
> 
> also once again happy belated birthday to my lovely soulmate iri ♡  
> i love her very much and i'm constantly grateful that we found our way back into each other's lives ; v ; i hope you enjoy your birthday gift as much as i enjoy you every single day heheheheh 
> 
> anyways i hope you enjoyed!!! (bc i know i did) pls drop me a comment down below and feel free to find me on twt @kkulseoki <3 and we can cry over mx's wins together bc damn that got me emotional ; v ;  
> see you all next time!!!


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